This website contains information about some of the road races in the counties of Kerry, Limerick, Clare, Tipperary and Waterford in Munster, Ireland. For races in Cork, see the Running in Cork website which is the largest athletics website in Munster. That site also contains plenty of national and international news items as well.

Pages

Monday, May 3, 2010

Limerick - Results of the Great Limerick Run...Sun 2nd May 2010

This was the first year of The Great Limerick Run which consisted of a full Marathon, a Half-Marathon and a 10 km fun run. The full Marathon started at 9am and about 800 runners took part. Two hours later at 11am, the Half-Marathon started and they ran the exact same route as the 2nd half for the full Marathon runners. The 10 k event started at 12:30pm.

Thousands take part in the Great Limerick 10 k fun run

Events.....10 km Fun Run
This event attracted thousands of walkers and runners and was a huge event. The actual course was not measured with a Jones counter and was probably short of the proper 10 km distance by a few hundred metres. Considering that entrants had paid €25 to enter, surely the course should have been measured accurately? Despite this, the 10 km event with all of the runners in it really added to the whole event and party atmosphere in the city on the day.

3:30 pace group in The Great Limerick Run Marathon

Marathon & Half-Marathon....
The Marathon and Half-Marathon courses were accurately measured with a Jones counter and had an AAI licence. So what was the course like? As a city Marathon and comparing it to Cork and Dublin, I thought that the chosen course was a case of where it 'could' go rather than 'should' go. You got the feeling that the chosen route was selected to cause the minimum of disruption to the city rather than what would make for a good Marathon route. There was a bit too much jumping up up and down off footpaths, some sections especially by the river were very narrow and there were plenty of bollards and traffic cones you could have an accident with especially where the runners were bunched together. There were some talk before the event about gates along the route but they must have been removed as there was no issue there.

As for whether it was a fast course, there were a suprising number of short pulls. There was nothing major but you certainly couldn't call it a flat fast course.

Overall......
Considering that there were 3 major races taking place and it was the first year, the whole event went reasonably well. I know there were some major issues like congestion on the 10 k route, the lack of a properly measured 10 k route and some of the faster Marathon runners taking a wrong turn and finishing early due to some stewarding issues. No doubt lessons will be learnt this year to improve the event for the future.

Overall, it was a great sporting event for the city of Limerick. There was a fantastic atmosphere in the city and it as a great opportunity for local runners to participate in a Half and Full Marathon in their home town. The 10 k event no doubt attracted a lot of first time runners and in a region where there is a serious shortage of road races, that is no bad thing. It will be interesting to see in future years how this event progresses now that it has got off to a flying start.

Put in your name or race number and your time with splits should appear towards the bottom of the page.

Photos......(Updated Thurs 6th 11:30pm)
We have a large selection of photos by Paudie Birmingham of Cork Running Pictures...
1) 21 shots of the start of the Limerick Marathon HERE
2) 63 photos near the 1 mile mark HERE
3) 171 photos near the 11 mile mark HERE
4) 112 photos towards the end. There should be loads of Half-Marathon runners in here as well. Click HERE
5) Another set of 122 photos near the end HERE

I ran the 10k, did a pb needless to say and was at least 2 minutes 15 secs quicker than a recent 10k I had done and feel in similar form. My calculations at the pace I was running puts that at a good 500 metres, sorry!

I did the 10k. Did a pb of 1 hour 13 - was impressed! Was extremely disappointed to hear that it was short as I had done the Jacinta O' Brien 10k the previous week 4 minutes slower.

On the plus side I thought the brass band at the end, near Dunnes really added to the atmosphere and would have been nice to see more bands about the course.

I was delighted that locals supported, provided water and even jaffa cakes at one point!

The white bridge slowed me down massively and it was frustrating standing there. Whilst there, there was a lot of people complaining about the fact that walkers and runners seemed to be mixed. Maybe next year walkers should be let go from a different point or later? Similar to what is done with the Flora Mini Marathon.

The cones were an issue also. I had an incident with one and thought I was going to break my face! Thanks to the man who picked up my headphones and encouraged me along my way.

Overall, a great event and something spectacular for the city. WELL DONE EVERYONE!

Did the half-marathon, great atmosphere, good course. On the down side, water distribution was poor, no mile markers on half-marathon course, bollards were hazardous, finish area was a bit chaotic. It might have been better to give t-shirt at the finish, along with a bag for the freebies. Overall, great first-time event.

My first Marathon Agree with all other comments would also lilke to add Disapointed to get generic T-shirt and medal Its would be better to get a T-shirt with 42.2km rather than 10km 21km 42km. I heard other people finshing and questioning everyone getting the same medal also. I understand it was the first time and think the finishing congestion was a genuine mistake It will be easily solved by moving tables back hundred metres there was alot of space behind finish line that was barriered off and empty. The course gave a good view of the city but the steps up and down on the pavement were a defintie issue especially in the latter stages

Good course and event overall for a a first effort, however a few comments: Water should be provided in bottles with sports tops on route... need to eliminate the steps and footpaths.. the sections were very narrow at times and the cones were dangerous.. the bands were disappointing ... needed to boom out music to keep you motivated..

I went to Thomond Park to collect my number and chip but they had no chip for me. I was given a replacement chip which when I opened the envelope the morning of the race seemed to be a bit faulty. I tied it on as best I could to my shoe but it fell off during the half marathon so i'm not even registered as having finished the race. This was very disappointing.

Apart from that I thought it was a great event and finishing on O'Connell Street was a real buzz.

Very disappointed they didnt give prizes for the first 10 or so athletes in each event...every other race in the country has prizes so why not Limerick? Overall, course was fairly hilly, turns were tight in places, there should have been mile markers for every mile, should of used bottles instead of cups for water and should have been marshalled by older people along the route instead of the children used (no offence). Very good otherwise!! CU next yr!

did the half marathon. was clear it was the first staging of the event, lots of simple mistakes, poor signage for the start and race HQ around the city, bollards everywhere which were hard to see in groups, and the finish area was very badly organised. The worst part was the water stops, loads in the middle, then none for the last section which was the toughest? And there was never enough people manning th tables! the best thing they did was the pace makers, they worked out very well, had two guys from belfast for sub 1h 40 and they were brilliant. Constantly encouraging and chatting.Hope it becomes an annual event but that the organisers learn from the mistakes this year.

Thought the occasion was great, good buzz, well supported by the locals. I ran the half, thoroughly enjoyed it, the routes showed off the City well and the staggered starts kepted the finish going thorughout the afternoon. The route was a bit tight onto the Potato Market bridge and around by the Civic Buildings but the idea was great and with a few tweaks it can be improved. Brilliant occasion, well done.

i ran the half, its a pity that there were no mile markers but hey for a first running of the event it was a great success well done to all involved.only one thing i would question is the 15k time check i got by text i think this was out by quiet a bit id say the mat was placed at 14.5kbut well done again to all and looking forward to next year !!

Did anyone get a finishers t-shirt as promised on the FAQ section of the GLR website, "What do I get when I finish?You will receive a finisher’s sports top, a specially commissioned memento and an enormous sense of fulfilment. Drinks and refreshments will also be available at the finish area."

hI thanks for a great day but if this event is to be run again there are a few things to get right, i ran the half and could not believe there was no mile markers, the water stations where so poor there should bee people handing out small bottles of water not cups on a table thank God it wasnt a very hot day, the bolards where an obstructuin i nearly triped on them so many times,Hopeuflly these comments will be taken on board for next year.

Did the half-marathon. Disappointed there were no mile/km marker as promised. Disappointed for the results not yet available on the website (should be very easy with chip timing). I didn't get any finisher's t-shirt (and for 50 Euro it would be nice to have it). All this said, it was a very nice event and great atmosphere. Hope next time would be better organised. For whom interested, the half marathon was 21.160 mt (measured with my satellite chrono).

I did the 10k and despite the fact that I was standing for 4 mins trying to get on to the foot-bridge at the potato market I beat my last 10k time by a few minutes. Very disappointed to read that it was short by 500m! Congestion was a serious problem and I do not understand why the roads were not closed, let's face the traffic could not move anyway and it was downright dangerous with the bollards. Also don't understand why no finisher t-shirts were available as per the FAQ section of the website. Having said all of that, it was a great run and I can't wait for next years. WELL DONE to the organisers and hopefully you can rectify the above for next year!

very disappointed about the 10km measurement, over all i will not go back next yr,

expo- nothing there, been run by kids, i thought i was an under 10's dance! my green bin will be full with the paper that was in my bag!

The 10k run was a joke!!! ruuning over/around car parks over a small bridge with old women and kids in your way, you could only have two people side by side getting over it... at one stage i had to stop and wait my turn to cross!!!There were no markers to tell runner how much they had left, over all a BIG let down!

They should have gone all out for this one to make sure people come back year after year.

How could a run advertised at 10k not be 10k? The basis expectation is that it is accurately measured.I ran the Jacinta O'Brien 10k the previous week and it took me 4 minutes longer! No markers at each 1k either, water stops not sufficient...surely the huge volume of runners deserved better.Overall, it was a great occasion but I just cant get over the distance issue..so fundamental. AC Limerick.

i did nt have an email adress tell today and dont know my way round a pc very well but to post comment here i had to get started my name is cosie i took part in the limerick marathon on sunday and first of all i'd like to say well done to george had great run and nobody came close to him but me and another lad were fighting it out for third place[not just a top 10 place] when trough no fault of our own we were directed the wrong way lost 2 or 3 miles and came over the line in 222 or 223 not 230 like the times said today very angry about the whole thing and the way i was treated after ,even tought about giving up running on the way home and that night but arnie said it ill be back,but not to limerick .cosmas de burca

I did the full marathon and finished in 3.56. The Sub 4 pacers were fantastic! Thanks guys.

The road out by the university was split in two with cones leaving very little room for runners and making it easy for people to crash into the cones as they are difficult to see when there are runners in front of you. There should have been a water stop between the 3 and the 9 mile markers. The canal bank area was dangerous with lots of rocks and bollards etc. It was like an obstacle course at times.

As we neared the 13 mile marker the half marathon was kicking off ahead and we had to run on the pavement so that we could keep together as a group and pass out the slower runners. This really slowed us down as people were walking on the pavement and cars were parked etc. It would have been better if all the races had started a few minutes apart rather than the marathon runners having to battle with everyone for space and water.I also think it would have been nice if there were 3 different shirts for each of the different races and also different medals indicating what race you had completed.

The water stations were poor, there should have been bottled water not cups, thankfully I had family members along the course with water bottles to hand me as I passed them.

The marshalls were not very good in places.

Why were the roads not closed???? At one point I had to slow down as a car was turning in front of me and couldn't be bothered to wait until I had passed. this is crazy.

Poorly organised and the worst marathon I’ve participated. Below is my 10 reasons why: 1.Between mile 16 and 17 ‘DANGEROUS STRETCH OF ROAD’ my arm was clipped by a car wing-mirror, such was the narrow road where traffic in both directions were travelling, and some going too fast. I did tell a Garda at the first instance. A marathoner next time could be killed on this stretch of road.2.Mile 16 & 17; signs on cones saying ‘Caution Runners’ facing in one direction only, but the traffic was clearly travelling both directions. 3.At the University boathouse unclear directions at the water’s edge. There was blue road sign but not clear to marathoners.4.On University grounds, no water on the table but plenty still in the pallet plastic wrapping. The lad here looked totally disinterested to take any water out.5.Garda on his mobile, so I had to fend for myself crossing a busy crossroads.6.Back into the city after mile 21total guess which road to go as no signs to be seen. A fellow marathoner turned back on what was the wrong direction for him.7.After mile 22, heading against the 10km masses. 8.After mile 22 ‘CONFUSION FRUSTRATION’ No signs again for the marathoners, confusion as to where the so called turn-around point was. Many other marathoners were also lost here. 9.Did not see signs for mile 23 or 24.10.At the finish line no water just bananas. I had been looking forward to the Limerick marathon having just completed the London marathon the week before and also giving up the trek up to the Belfast marathon. Not be taking part next year, overpriced at €80 and amateurish organised.

my sympathies to both cosmas and vasiliy on having to endure that through no fault of their own having put in months of preparation - No excuses for what happened. I felt that the great Limerick representative (in yesterdays paper) showed little appreciation of the effect that something like this can have on someone that puts as much into their running as these guys do and tried to downplay the incident, insult to injury as far as I'm concerned. Sorry to hear that the guys were treated so poorly after.

Devastated for you Cosmos. I had the same problem and had to make a leap of faith at a couple of junctions. Don't let some silly organizational mistakes get you down.

To this comment:>> 4.On University grounds, no water on the table but plenty still in the pallet plastic wrapping. The lad here looked totally disinterested to take any water out.

These guys were not part of the Great Limerick Run event. They were actually part of the Joey Hannan Triathlon, which would explain why they weren't keen to hand out water bottles. They did hand out a few, but obviously had to hang on to most of the water for their own event. So don't be hard on them!

Enjoyed my first marathon but disappointed with the folling.> water stations (bottles should have been present)> poor marshiling> course design> full marathon runners should not have encountered the other race distance runners> price > T-shirts should have been specific to each race

Cosmas, I'm a Limerick based runner who also ran the marathon. I want to apologize on behalf of the Limerick running community for what happened to you and Vasilly during this race. It was a discrace and the people responsible should be ashamed of themselves. For a talented runner like yourself to consider giving up the sport because of what happened you during my home town race is sickning. I also ran the marathon and was a few places behind you and through some "glitch" i have no time registered for the marathon either. I went into the office and gave out yards about all that was wrong with this race. I'm assured by the organisers that they will fix everything and will be crawling to you and Vasilly to address what happened. If they don't to your satisfaction please email me at ggp67@live.co.uk . Please don't give up on Limerick just yet. There are enough dedicated runners here who will not allow this event to be ran so badly again. It's still potentially a great event and I would personally love to see you back next year to take your rightful place among the top finishers. Congrats also to George, he ran an excellent race.

Ran the 10km and def the worst organised run I've ever participated in. No water,no km markings,inaccurate measurement of the distance, the bridge congestion! My chip was missing and given another at the expo, but the details were never transferred, so no official timing!!Def not recommend this run to anyone.

Enjoyed the 10k run but very disappointed about the organization,bridge conjestion was unbelievable,10k not being 10k,my name was missing on the times list only had number, also was overpriced.dont know about next year.The organizers have a lot of work to do to put these basic issues rigbht.

As poor as the organisation was on the day i felt the city was great. I did the 10km and the people were great, the music was fun and the locals were brilliant. I ran with the young lad in the buggy and as always the other runners are so supportive. There would have to be a big improvement for next year but i'd do it again for the buzz in the city.Richie

As poor as the organisation was on the day i felt the city was great. I did the 10km and the people were great, the music was fun and the locals were brilliant. I ran with the young lad in the buggy and as always the other runners are so supportive. There would have to be a big improvement for next year but i'd do it again for the buzz in the city.Richie

I did the half marathon and enjoyed the experience. Definately doing it again next time:) can anyone tell me where to find the official photos of the event, the site that we enter our bib number and it shows our photos

I was first woman in half marathon and as far as i know there is no cash prize, but as far as I'm concerned that is a very minor thing in comparison to the issues other runners encountered....especially cosmos and vasiliy. i just hope they can put it behind them and look forward to the next marathon.

I know this is a long time after but here goes.Ran the half and enjoyed and thought the pacers were great but certain things (other than those mentioned already)need addressing.Compared to England where my local half at Brentwood is brilliantly organised (numbers limited) and only costs about 15 euro's this is ridiculously expensive, if I wasn't from Limerick I wouldn't have paid it.

Secondly there is no need to drag people into Thomond Park the day before as every other race I have run just post your number, chip and instructions out. It's very unfair on people who would travel on the day otherwise. The tut that was given out in a plastic bag - consisting of flyers and a teeshirt that took the form of an advertising board was cheap and tasteless.

When the results did eventually appear they only gave individual times/results so no means of comparing with other age group/genders etc. Again it is nowadays routine to give these as chips are taken, bucketted and instantly recorded at the finish line. Finally, having been told that the chips must be returned or a charge would be levied, no one seemed to have a clue about this at the end although in the event no return was necessary.Looking back on it now, if I hadn't been thrilled at the time at running around my home town, it was very poorly organised especially in comparison with other, similiar events.